Orlando Airport Issues Statement Regarding Hurricane Idalia

If you’re planning to fly into or out of Disney World soon, one major thing could complicate your plans — Hurricane Idalia.

The once tropical storm has strengthened into a hurricane and could become a major Category 3 storm before hitting Florida’s Gulf Coast — impacting some areas in Florida mainly late Tuesday night into Wednesday. We’re keeping a close eye on how that could impact your Disney World trip, Disney World’s cancelation policy changes, and more. But what if you’ll be flying in or out of the Orlando area soon? Well, here’s what’s going on with that.

Update: The Airport issued an updated statement on August 30th — see that below in red.

The Orlando International Airport (MCO) has issued a statement ahead of Hurricane Idalia. Via Twitter/X, they have noted that the Airport is (as of right now) open and operational.

They are monitoring Idalia but as of the morning of August 29th, they note that they do NOT foresee “any significant impact” to their operations.

That, however, is subject to change. MCO has explained that if an operational change occurs, they will post about it.

Our airport is open and operational. We continue to monitor the status of Hurricane #Idalia – we do not foresee any significant impact to our operations at this time. If operational changes occur, we'll post about it. Please check with your airline in regards to your flight. pic.twitter.com/qB5nv6C2b8

— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) August 29, 2023

While the Orlando Airport being open is good news, that does NOT necessarily mean that your flight is totally free from complications. You’ll want to keep a close eye out for updates from your specific airline about any potential delays or cancelations.

In fact, Southwest Airlines has already indicated that based on the forecasted weather, they expect their scheduled service between August 28th and August 31st “may be disrupted (flights may be delayed, diverted, and/or canceled)” for the following spots:

Charleston, SC – CHS
Destin/Fort Walton Beach, FL – VPS
Fort Myers, FL – RSW
Jacksonville, FL – JAX
Myrtle Beach, SC – MYR
Orlando, FL – MCO
Panama City Beach, FL – ECP
Pensacola, FL – PNS
Sarasota/Bradenton, FL – SRQ
Savannah/Hilton Head, GA – SAV
Tampa, FL – TPA

If you’re traveling “to, from, or through the cities listed above” between August 28th and the 31st, you’ll be able to “rebook in the original class of service or travel standby (within 14 days of their original date of travel between the original city-pairs and in accordance with our accommodation procedures) without paying additional charges.”

Also, keep in mind that while MCO is open and operational, Tampa International Airport will be CLOSING. That could impact your plans if you were planning to fly into that airport.

A notice on the Tampa International Airport website indicates that they will suspend all commercial operations starting at 12:01AM Tuesday (August 29th) ahead of Idalia. The airport will remain closed until it can assess any damages. Currently, they anticipate that they’ll reopen on Thursday morning.

UPDATE: On August 30th in the morning the Orlando Airport issued an updated statement. In it, they noted that the airport is open and operational but flight disruptions are expected. This may be through delays and cancelations or bag delivery delays. Check with your airline for updates.

While our airport is open and operational, flight disruptions are expected throughout the day – delays/cancellations & bag delivery delays may occur. Check with your airline for updates in regards to your flight. For airport status: https://t.co/vm0yMYHkcv #HurricaneIdalia pic.twitter.com/juY7zN4VkO

— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) August 30, 2023

Mears Connect Driven By Sunshine (a Magical Express replacement service) shared via Instagram that passengers should contact their airlines for any updates and warned that “Mears Connect does not automatically cancel your reservation if your flight is cancelled.”

They have also shared the following tips:

If your arrival flight is delayed, the system will auto edit your reservation information for ARRIVALS ONLY. Your boarding pass is valid for 48 hours. Best practice, if your travel plans have changed please let us know.
Mears Connect will continue to operate with safety in mind first. If there are any closures, we will post an update. There may be delays due to safety precautions.
Guests should allow extra time in anticipation of possible delays in roadway travel and increased congestion at the airport.
Mears Connect advises that passengers proceed to the airport as scheduled as airlines can lift delays at any moment. We have limited ability to quickly react to on demand need to adjust hotel departure times.
For major travel delays, please contact Customer Service for options.

Remember that storm situations are subject to change at any moment. We’ll continue to look for updates and let you know what we find. You can check our posts below for more information.